


Unseen Paths

by DivineShark



Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Aging, Angst, Established Relationship, Future Fic, Growing Old Together, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:22:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29791167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DivineShark/pseuds/DivineShark
Summary: Lloyd was always bigger than him. It was just that now, when Lloyd was growing older and Genis continued to look the same, the difference between the two of them was more obvious than ever.Genis never wants to say goodbye, but there's no way to escape the inevitable.
Relationships: Lloyd Irving/Genis Sage
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Unseen Paths

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old fic I've had tucked away for a long time, and I've decided to share it now. :3 I'm not sure what the tragedy of long life trope is usually called, but this is it right here, ahaha!
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys!

Lloyd was always bigger than him.

It was something Genis just had to get used to. When they were younger, Lloyd always towered over him. Nowadays, they were nearly the same height in comparison. He never had to pull Lloyd down to his level or stand on his toes. Lloyd couldn’t rest his arm on Genis’s head.

But he was still bigger than him, like he had always been. Now it just felt more obvious.

Lloyd was thirty-two now, and he looked it. He had that strong jaw, wide shoulders—he looked more like a hero swordsman than ever. Meanwhile he…looked twenty-seven. For a half-elf. It was hard to pinpoint when, exactly, his aging process slowed compared to Lloyd’s, but these days, it felt more obvious than ever.

He’d take being a foot shorter than Lloyd any day if it meant they’d be the same. If Lloyd was a half-elf, too.

Lloyd’s hand snapped him out of his thoughts. “Hey, Genis, what’s up? You’re spacing out again.”

“Huh?”

He looked up at his companion walking beside him. He had barely realized it, but they were already outside of Hima. It was a good thing the trek there had been peaceful, or his inattention could have cost them. When Genis thought of that, he frowned.

“Sorry. I guess I just have a lot on my mind…”

Lloyd wrapped an arm around Genis’s shoulders. “Yeah, I can tell. What’s up?”

It didn’t matter how many times he brought it up - or thought of it - when nothing could change their races. Nothing could stop Lloyd from leaving him.

“…You’ve gotten a lot stronger,” he finally answered.

He expected Lloyd to just accept that answer, maybe laugh a little. He hadn’t expected Lloyd to stop and look him in the eye. “Come on, Genis. I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re hiding something. What is it?”

Genis looked away. “…You’re getting older than I am. I…I wish I could grow old with you, too.”

Lloyd squeezed his shoulder silently, pulling him closer to his side. This time, Lloyd didn’t say anything. Maybe because this was one instance where even he couldn’t find a way for everyone to be happy. Still, Lloyd wasn’t going anywhere yet. With his arm wrapped around Lloyd’s waist, they walked up the path to Hima together.

It was when they finally reached the inn and checked in that it finally hit him. There wasn’t any way for Genis to age at the same rate as Lloyd, but there was a way for Lloyd to stop aging.

His fingers ran over the exsphere embedded in his hand. If Mithos and Kratos could do it, then Lloyd could, too.

Even when he thought of it, though, it felt wrong. They were on a mission to gather the exspheres. How hypocritical would it be to abuse them just so some half-elf wouldn’t be lonely?

He was pulled out of his thoughts again when he felt Lloyd’s weight press down on the bed behind him, his arms encircling his waist as he rested his head on his shoulder.

“Are you still thinking about it?” he asked warily. Hearing Lloyd sound like that, Genis knew he had to be worrying him now. He leaned back against Lloyd’s chest, knocking his own head against Lloyd’s.

“I’m sorry. I just hate to think about losing you.”

“Then stop thinking about it,” he replied simply, his arms squeezing him. Before Genis could form a protest, Lloyd continued, “Genis, I’m not going anywhere. I can’t change the fact that I’m human and you’re half-elven. That just means we need to enjoy the time we have together even more.”

For a long time, Genis couldn’t say anything. He just laid there, resting his hands over Lloyd’s arms and feeling his heartbeat against his back.

This was probably what Lloyd meant. If Lloyd became an angel, Genis might not have been lonely, but would Lloyd be able to enjoy life like that?

In the end, that was what really mattered to him.

Taking in a deep breath, he turned his head towards him, hand reaching out to stroke his cheek. He had stubble again, but he kind of liked the way it felt.

“Yeah, you’re right… We’re still going to be together forever.”

He could feel some of the tension easing from Lloyd’s muscles as he sighed, pressing a kiss to Genis’s cheek.

“Besides, I’m human, but I’m still young!”

“Oh, you are?” he teased. “I forgot with all those greys.”

“Hey! Your hair’s all grey!”

“I told you it’s  _ silver _ !”

Before they knew it, Genis was turned around, climbing over Lloyd’s lap, and was all but toppling Lloyd over if Lloyd wasn’t holding him up. Faces flushed, laughing, it was like old times again.

Genis could only hope those times continued on forever.

\- - - -

Of course they couldn’t, though it was several decades before they ended. Before they had to cut their journey short and the two of them returned to Iselia. The plan had been for Lloyd to take over so Dirk could retire, but in time, he couldn’t even do that. His eyes were going, and, of course, he didn’t really have anyone to take over after him. The house outside Iselia was quieter than ever.

He never changed, though.

“The sun feels good today,” he sighed, smiling brightly as he stretched his arms over his head. “Retirement’s not so bad.”

Two chairs set up on the balcony, overlooking the forest. To Lloyd, it was just a smear of color, and that seemed to be just fine to him. And it was fine to Genis, too, because the only thing he was looking at was the silver-haired man beside him.

“I hear it’s going to rain this afternoon, though…” Genis replied.

“It is?” For an old man, Lloyd sat up surprisingly quickly when he heard that. “But Colette and the Professor were going to visit today!”

“I don’t know if they’ll make it.”

“Then we’ll need to go see them!” And like that, Lloyd was on his feet, reaching for Genis’s hand like he always knew where it’d be even if he couldn’t see it. “Come on!”

Genis rose with him, wrapping his hand around Lloyd’s. Though not without some protest. “But then we’ll be caught in the rain coming back!”

“Then we’ll come back tomorrow. There’s still room in Raine’s house for us.”

“Honestly, Lloyd, you can’t depend on my sister like this. She has a life too, you know.”

Lloyd scoffed, still leading them out of the house like always, saying something about how they were family too and families relied on each other.

The same as always.

Genis couldn’t help but smile. Lloyd was still bigger than him, older than him, and probably looked even older to people who didn’t know them, but he was always Lloyd. And he was going to stick by him forever.

For as long as he lived.

\- - - -

“I think our journey is almost over.”

Noishe whined beside him, nuzzling his cheek, to get Genis to wrap his arm around him and pet him. Although he wasn’t looking at the “dog”, Genis liked to at least be able to pretend he was talking to him instead of the stone in front of him in case his sister happened to come by. Besides, if Lloyd’s soul was still in the world, Genis was sure it’d be doing something other than hanging out at his grave, listening to Genis talk to himself.

Well, even if Lloyd wasn’t there and wasn’t listening, Genis still wanted to talk to him and tell him about their journey. He wasn’t there anymore, but it would always be their mission.

“I managed to collect all the exspheres I could find and seal them away. It took a long time, but no-one else should be able to abuse their power anymore. There won’t be anymore victims.”

Yeah. A smile pulled at his lips.

“We did it, Lloyd.”

Noishe nudged his face again, drawing a strained laugh out of him.

“You stupid dog…” he chuckled, turning to wrap his arms around Noishe’s body. The fur felt so soft and warm against his face. It felt kind of like Lloyd was with him then. Maybe because Noishe always was Lloyd’s dog.

He held on tighter, burying his face against Noishe’s neck. His shoulders shook. He knew he shouldn’t have anything to regret. He knew dying was inevitable.

He’d just wished he could see Lloyd one more time.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm no longer a ToS main, but Genis/Lloyd is still my OTP for ToS! I'm always happy to meet other Genis/Lloyd fans, so feel free to say hi to me over on Twitter (divineshark)!


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